Considerations for wrapping run/coop in plastic to prepare for winter in Massachusetts?

[3KillerBs]

Don't close up too tight. Ventilation is just as important in the winter as in the summer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

 

[Browniethechicken]

Don't close up too tight. Ventilation is just as important in the winter as in the summer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Thank you! I was hoping to get your opinion. Any suggestions or fixes I should do looking at the pics I posted? I have one side open. And there is about 4 inches open on another side at the top.

 

[CKfarm22]

Any suggestions on how to create more ventilation with my current set up?

We leave about a 1foot gap at the top for ventilation. We also use plastic sheeting (2 years in a row) and NEVER had a problem with moisture, i’m in NJ so we get mild winters but it still gets cold. I’ve never had a problem with snow getting in through the gap up top. You can see in this picture the gap we leave.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you! I was hoping to get your opinion. Any suggestions or fixes I should do looking at the pics I posted? I have one side open. And there is about 4 inches open on another side at the top.

I don't have direct winter chicken experience, but it's very common to leave a rather sizeable gap all the way around the top of the run.

 

[jreardon1918]

We live a couple miles south of Gillette stadium. We just did the wrapping of our run today. We use dollar store shower curtain liners. Here are a few pictures. We also do the semi annual clean out of the coop today. The curtains are attached to strapping using white tape and screwed in. They last all winter. The curtains below the coop have been in place for two seasons. We will replace them on the next nice day. The side with the door gets no curtains. If we get a big snow, I will put put up a sheet of plywood on the door wall just during the storm. The setup we have has lots of ventilation in the run and allows for the windows and pop door to remain open 365 days a year. There is a gap of about 12" at the top. Very little snow gets in that gap. Here is an article we did on winterizing our coop and run. The article shows pictures with snow in the run. The plywood mentioned above helps eliminate most of that.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/preparing-the-girls-for-winter.76141/

 

[Browniethechicken]

We leave about a 1foot gap at the top for ventilation. We also use plastic sheeting (2 years in a row) and NEVER had a problem with moisture, i’m in NJ so we get mild winters but it still gets cold. I’ve never had a problem with snow getting in through the gap up top. You can see in this picture the gap we leave. View attachment 3333077

Thank you for including a pic! Nice set up!!!!

 

[Gypsi]

I'm in North Texas. Ventilation being important, I have the ability to close the north side front door of my coop, cover my hardware cloth windows on north, west and sometimes east side, leave them open on south side. I cover the north side of the run with plastic, a shed protects the west side, and the west side coop entrance is open so they can get in and out, I open coop door to carry water if it is too cold, several times a day. Electricity tends to go out here when it is really cold so I've quit keeping pumps or other heating devices for water, does no good. I heat my house with a woodstove. so much for Ercot rolling blackouts

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I put my plastic shower curtains in the inside of the coop. The wind had another plan so I will put them on the outside.

 

[jreardon1918]

I put my plastic shower curtains in the inside of the coop. The wind had another plan so I will put them on the outside.

Try to get the sides of the covering securely attached. That will help prevent the wind getting under and get the flapping to happen.

 

[CKfarm22]

Thank you for including a pic! Nice set up!!!!

Thank you!